Alan Arkin Talks Ben Affleck, Oscar Nominations

It surprised many of us that Ben Affleck wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for his directorial performance in the highly acclaimed film, “Argo,” but Alan Arkin, one of the actors in the film, isn’t too worried about it.

Arkin explained, “He’s certainly got an enormous amount of attention for it across the board, and I think it absolutely secures his place as one of the most important directors in the country. So even though it’s a slight, I think he’s in good shape.”

The actor also spoke about what it was like to have Affleck direct him. “I think actors in general tend to be kinder to actors because they have a sense of what the needs and expectations are. Ben was very warm, very kind, very articulate, and exacting. He knew exactly what he wanted and needed and we weren’t allowed to run rampant. He had a very tight control on the tone of the film and it shows. It’s a meticulously directed movie.”

Arkin himself did receive a nomination for his performance in “Argo.” This is the fourth nomination of his career.